Bloody Knife

Bloody Knife (1840-June 25, 1876) was a Native American scout with the U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment who was killed at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

Life

Bloody Knife was born in 1840 to an Hunkpapa Sioux father and a Ree mother. He spent his first 16 years with his father, but was frequently taunted, beaten and abused for being a "half-breed." At age 16, he left the Sioux camp with his mother, but returned in 1860 to visit his father. Bloody Knife was still despised by the Sioux, and was almost killed during his visit. Chief Gall, a leader of the Hunkpapa and participant in the Battle of the Little Big Horn, killed Bloody Knife's two brothers in 1862. Bloody Knife was married to She Owl in 1866.

In 1868, Bloody Knife enlisted as a scout in the U.S. Army and was assigned to the 7th Cavalry. He quickly became George Armstrong Custer's favorite scout. He was insolent toward whites and ridiculed them. He often amused Custer by ridiculing his marksmanship. Custer never got angry with Bloody Knife and often gave gifts to him.

In 1874, Bloody Knife guided the 7th Cavalry through the Black Hills. He was with Custer during the Little Bighorn campaign in 1876 and repeatedly told Custer there were too many Indians to fight, a warning Custer ignored. Bloody Knife, in turn, ignored Custer's plea for him to stay out of the battle. By some accounts, before the battle began, Bloody Knife signaled to the sun with his hands, "I shall not see you go down behind the hills tonight." [cite book |first=Evan S. |last=Connell|authorlink= Evan S. Connell|title="Son of the Morning Star"|publisher=Harper Perennial |year = 1984|pages=272. ISBN 0-06-097161-4]

Bloody Knife was assigned to Major Marcus Reno at the Battle of the Little Bighorn on June 25, 1876. After Reno and his men retreated into the timber near the river during an early part of the confrontation, Bloody Knife was killed by a gun shot to the head. Reportedly, he was standing next to Reno during this segment of the battle. Reno was attempting to ask him what the Indians were doing when Bloody Knife was shot and his blood splattered Reno's face. Reno was stunned by this sudden development and reportedly began to bark out orders in a panicked state. He ordered his men to mount and dismount several times in confusion before leading a disorderly retreat across the river away from the Indian encampment. It has been speculated that Bloody Knife's sudden death put Major Reno in a state of shock. Most of Reno's casualties were suffered during the sudden retreat.

Bloody Knife's body was eventually beheaded by the Sioux, and it is believed his head was carried into their camp.

For his services in the campaign, Bloody Knife's wife She Owl received $91.66 in wages owed to him in 1881. [cite book |first=Evan S. |last=Connell|authorlink= Evan S. Connell|title="Son of the Morning Star"|publisher=Harper Perennial |year = 1984|pages=12-18. ISBN 0-06-097161-4]

Bloody Knife in popular culture

*Bloody Knife's participation and death at the Battle of the Little Bighorn was portrayed in a fictional manner in the 1967 film "Custer of the West". In that film, he is one of the last members of the 7th Cavalry still standing before he is killed by an arrow through the neck. [cite web |title=Internet Movie Database, "Custer of the West" |work=imdb.com |url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062844/ |accessdate=2008-01-23]

*In the 1991 television mini-series "Son of the Morning Star", Bloody Knife is portrayed by Sheldon Peters Wolfchild. His participation and death during the Battle of the Little Bighorn follows historical accounts. [cite web |title=Internet Movie Database, "Son of the Morning Star" |work=imdb.com |url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102962/fullcredits#cast |accessdate=2008-01-23]

References

External links

*